Denied Devotion
by iwannabehelenabonhamcarter
Summary: Sweenett fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

**Denied Devotion - Chapter 1**

"Can I open my eyes yet, Nellie?"

"Not quite. Lucy, just a little farther. Follow the sound of my voice…"

Lucy, a pretty girl with fair hair and a bubbly personality possessed only by unspoiled, innocent youth was being led through a corridor by her slightly older friend, Nellie Lovett. She had a sullen face, pale with dark, sunken eyes, but was pretty nonetheless. Her dark brown hair fell about her face in untidy curls.

"OK. Now open them!"

"SURPRISE!"

Lucy gasped in delight.

"Happy Birthday, Lucy" said a tall, handsome man standing in a parlour doorway, before leaning in and placing a delicate kiss upon Lucy's blushing cheek. Nellie walked over to a nearby table and poured herself a tumbler of gin. "A toast," she said, raising her glass into the air, "to my best friend, Lucy. Happy 18th birthday, love" Lucy giggled and walked over to Nellie, bringing with her the handsome man. The two of them stood there, hand in hand.

"Thank you for remembering, Nell"

"Well what kind of friend would I be if I didn't? Do you fancy a drink, Luce?"

Lucy shook her head.

"What about you Benjamin?" Here she addressed the man standing next to Lucy.

"No thanks. I could go for something to eat though."

"Sure," said Nellie, reaching toward a plate of pies and selecting the best looking one to give Benjamin. This was hard because they all looked burned and were oozing some kind of rancid looking sauce. Eventually she picked one and handed it to Benjamin who gave a forced smile and took the pie from Nellie, thanking her.

"How about we make ourselves comfy love?" said Benjamin. Nellie jumped with surprise, dropped her glass, then looked up to see Benjamin and Lucy retiring to her faded sofa. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and she made her excuses to leave the room.

"Luce, I'm just popping upstairs to get your present. Be right back," she said, hurrying from sight. She returned minutes later carrying something rather large behind her back.

"Here you are," she pronounced, producing a birdcage from behind her back and handing it to Lucy.

"A finch! My favourite! Oh thank you Nell. You're the best friend I could ever dream of"

Nellie blushed then proceeded to look at Benjamin and ask, "Where's your gift?" Lucy placed the birdcage upon the floor and look enquiringly at Benjamin. Benjamin looked flustered and stumbled on his words.

"Well. Ummm… I was actually saving that for later…"

He then mumbled something about surprise and timing before fumbling in his jacket pocket and pulling out an engagement ring.

"Lucy May Venenum will you be my wife?"

"YES! Of course! Yes! A thousand times yes!" she erupted without a moments hesitation. She flung her arms around Benjamin and kissed him. Benjamin kissed back harder. Nellie sighed quietly, "I'll give you two some space," and she crept out of the parlour and up the stairs to her bedroom.

She couldn't sleep that night…


	2. Chapter 2

**Denied Devotion - Chapter 2 **

_1 year later _

"WAAAAAA! WAAAA!"

That bloody baby was screaming it's head off again. What an irritating voice it had, Mrs Lovett thought to herself. She got up from her sofa and laid her book of manners that she had been reading down on the seat next to the one she had recently occupied.

"I'm coming! Shut yer trap!" she yelled hitching her skirts and ascending the stairs and then bustled through the doorway of her bedroom. She advanced toward the bed and picked up the baby from where it had been laying. It ceased crying at once. "What a sweet thing you are when you're silent," she cooed, tickling the baby's tummy. The baby giggled and Nellie gave the baby one of her fingers to suck on. Nellie looked at the baby, surveying her huge brown eyes. "Just like your father," she murmured. It was hard not to love baby Johanna when she looked so much like Benjamin, no matter how much she wanted to hate the child. The child that should of been hers, not that unworthy bimbo, Lucy's. 'The bitch can't even care for it properly', Mrs Lovett thought, 'she's always dropping her off round here to go off out with Benjamin…' Nellie tried hard not to think what they were doing at that moment. They were probably lying together at a hill on Hampstead Heath, sharing a picnic, basking in the sun, reading poetry to each other… Mrs Lovett shook her head and laid Johanna back down on her bed to sleep. 'Sleep', she thought, 'wasn't such a bad idea' so she curled up on the bed next to Johanna and slooowllyy….. Dozzzzed….. Offffff…


	3. Chapter 3

**Denied Devotion - Chapter 3 **

Nellie awoke with a start. Johanna was crying and there was a loud banging coming from downstairs, presumably from someone knocking and not trying to break down the door, although it sounded like that… Nellie picked up Johanna and went downstairs to see a panicked Lucy frantically banging on the shop door. Nellie let her in.

"Whats wrong?"

"He took Benjamin! That bastard took Benjamin!"

"Calm down, Luce and explain clearly what happened," said Nellie as calmly as she could, although there was a trace of fear in her voice.

"We were just enjoying our picnic, minding our own business and suddenly that judge and his pervy friend approached us and that bastard judge hit Benjamin. For no reason! He just hit him! And Benjamin threw a punch right back. He didn't think about what he was doing. And then the judge laughed and beckoned to two nearby police officers who dragged Benjamin away! That damned judge was trying to get Benjamin arrested, I know it! Nellie, we've got to do something!"

Mrs Lovett didn't say anything, she just stood, her eyebrows angled and her eyes glassy. Then at once, Mrs Lovett sprang into action. Her face composed, she ran toward the counter and grabbed her keys before sprinting back, pushing Lucy out of the door then following herself. She locked the door and Mrs Lovett, Lucy and Johanna all hurried along the street. They had to find where Benjamin was being held, before anything bad happened…


	4. Chapter 4

"Now madam, I've warned you already. Calm down or I shall have you removed from my courtroom."

"NO! I'll not calm down. You took my husband and I want to know where he is!"

"Madam. We are in the middle of a trial here. Leave at once!"

Lucy flung herself at the Judge. "You bastard, tell me where he is or I swear to God I'll-"

"Kill me? I dare you." Lucy slapped the judge across the face as hard as she could, leaving a searing red mark.

"YOU BITCH!" cried the Judge, "baliff, arrest this woman"

"On what charge?"

"You fool, can't you see? She's an unfit mother" The baliff didn't look confused at all he knew how the judge operated, accusing people of ridiculous crimes and having them arrested, just to get them out if his way. It was a sinful thing to do, he thought, but the pay was good so he started towards Lucy.

"no!" yelled Nellie, a little half heartedly, flinging herself in front of Lucy but so that the baliff would still be able to reach her. What did she care if Lucy got arrested? Benjamin was the only one she really cared about.

"You want to know where your no good husband is? He's on a ship to Australia, right now, to serve a life sentence. And you, you're going straight to Foggs Asylum." the judge told Lucy in scorn. Upon hearing this news, Mrs Lovett's heart burst. How cruel irony was. Lucy was finally out of her hair for good but Benjamin was serving for life in Australia! Nellie slowly backed out of the courtroom, not caring for Lucy's fate and not wishing to be sent to prison herself. Back in the courtroom the baliff advanced on Lucy and forced her hands behind her back. The judge leaned in to Lucy, so his nose was almost touching hers.

"Lucy, there was a time when we might have been friends, more than friends. But Benjamin was stopping you from seeing that. You see now why I had to arrest him."

"Leave me alone. I would never love you, you filthy pig."

"Oh Lucy, if only you'd been smart enough to love me, then you wouldn't be in this little predicament."

"Fuck you," said Lucy, spitting in the judge's face before being dragged away from the him, forever.


	5. Chapter 5

Mrs Lovett had taken baby Johanna back to her shop. She sat on her sofa, gently stroking the baby's wispy yellow hair. Benjamin couldn't really be on a ship to Australia. How could she survive if she never saw him again? She looked down at the tiny infant, drooling slightly into her lap. This was the last thing she had of Benjamin's but she couldn't stand it because it was Lucy's too... Unless... She removed Johanna from her lap and placed her on the empty seat. Mrs Lovett dashed to the kitchen and searched in a draw in the counter until she removed something small and silver. Benjamin's spare key. She could at least visit his shop whenever she wanted. How lonely it would be without him though. Where would people co for the finest shave in London? Nellie knew she couldn't go on without him. There was only one thing for it, she had to somehow persuade the Judge to revoke his sentence. 


	6. Chapter 6

Johanna was asleep downstairs in the parlour whilst Mrs Lovett was upstairs putting the finishing touches to her outfit. She looked stunning. She had lined her hooded eyelids with heavy black makeup, emphasized her godlike cheekbones with some blush and laced her corset tighter than ever, forming two perfectly moulded breasts. How could the Judge ever resist her. Just at that moment the very man himself knocked downstairs. Mrs Lovett hitched her skirts and ran from the room to let him in.

"Good evening m'lady"

"Evening to ya, sir. Come on in" The judge stepped into Mrs Lovett's shop and followed her through to the parlour.

"Sit down warm yer bones," said Nellie, indicating her worn sofa. The Judge took a seat and so did she.

"The beadle tells me that you have a certain 'proposition' for me, m'am" said the judge, emphasizing the word 'proposition' and leaning closer to Nellie she could smell his rancid breath. Steak and Kidney pie and Ale... Nellie batted her lashes

"Thats right. I wondered if we could make talk about one of your recent arrests." She spoke in a deep, slow voice and placed her hand on his leg. "A certain, Benjamin Barker," she massaged his thigh.

"Ah, yes, well maybe we could discuss this in the bedroom?"

"Of course, sir" Mrs Lovett took the Judge's hand and let him upstairs to her bedroom where she closed the door behind her...

Baby Johanna woke up and started wailing. There were loud thumps and screams coming from upstairs. She cried louder, but nobody came to soothe her. Eventually, the screaming stopped and Johanna slowly drifted back off to sleep. Back upstairs Mrs Lovett and the Judge lay under the covers, naked and sweaty. "So, I was maybe wondering if you could perhaps drop all of Benjamin's charges. See, he means a lot to me and I really miss him."

"Listen, Nellie, I'd love too but then he'll want Lucy back and get in my damned way again. I'm sorry"

"Wait. You're in love with Lucy? Then why did you send her to the asylum?"

"She wouldn't love me, I lost my temper."

"Well she certainly ain't gonna love you now..." The Judge sighed.

"I know. If I could take it back I would but I can't. I miss her face so much, I want her around always..."

"That's how I feel about Benjamin..."

"You really love him?"

"I do."

"Would you do anything for him?"

"Anything."

"Well what if I got the charges dropped and him sent back to London? Would you lie to him? Would you tell him Lucy is dead? That way we can live together, and you can live together and no one has to know"

"Yes! Anything to have Benjamin back, ANYTHING!"

"Then it's settled. I'll file the paper's tomorrow."

"Thankyou! Oh thankyou so much!" Nellie kissed the Judge all over his face. Just then Johanna started crying again.

"I didn't know you had a child, Nellie?"

"It's not mine, it was Lucy's. Couldn't just leave the poor thing when you took her mummy could I? Don't know what I'll do wih it though. Hey, you don't want it, do ya?"

"Really? Thankyou. You won't regret it. I'll spoil it beyond your wildest imagination and teach it to be a real lady. You won't regret this,"

Mrs Lovett chuckled, " I guess we're even now."


End file.
